Shining Beacon
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: AU. Three moments of time in Eve's life with her mothers.


**I don't own Xena: Warrior Princess and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

_Author's Note_: I actually liked the Eve storyline, but not the time jump (or Joxer's death). I wanted to explore what Eve's life would be like growing up with Xena and Gabrielle. Enjoy!

* * *

Xena and Gabrielle beamed as they watched three year old Eve play in the dirt. "I'll tell you one thing – she isn't afraid to make a mess," Gabrielle commented to her girlfriend.

"Takes after me that way, but the rest of her is you." Xena stifled a laugh when Gabrielle glared at her. She just shrugged and apologized (even though she didn't really mean it).

"Which is good. I'd be scared if Eve was all you." Gabrielle honestly wouldn't, though – Eve was a mixture of both of them, and it worked. And she'd be happy if Eve grew up to be like Xena (just not with all the murdering Xena had done before she decided to make amends for her past).

"Nice. I'll remember that later." Xena couldn't deny her anything and they both knew it. That was okay. They couldn't stay mad at each other for long.

When Eve kicked the dirt out so it flew up into her eyes and she started crying, Xena and Gabrielle decided that was the end of playtime. "Hurts," the little girl whimpered.

"Well, that's why you don't kick dirt into your face," Gabrielle gently chided. She couldn't help the smile that escaped when her daughter glared at her.

"We're going to see Uncle Joxer and Aunt Meg. They're really excited to see you, Eve." Xena figured that would calm her down.

And she was right. Eve squealed and launched herself at the two of them. "Uncle Jox!" she cried. He usually could never say no to her, which is why they didn't visit him all that often. They did miss him, occasionally, however, which is why Xena and Gabrielle had planned this visit. The fact that Meg and Xena looked alike confused Eve and didn't help matters much, thus another reason why they limited their visits.

The three of them slowly made their way towards Joxer and Meg's house. "Now you have to be a good girl, Eve," Gabrielle warned. One of the reasons they had let her play so much before leaving was to tire her out. Hopefully that and the fact that she had walked some of the way would work together to ensure she didn't run around everywhere.

"Know, Mama." Eve looked up at her and beamed before skipping ahead of them.

"Don't yell," Xena warned when she and Gabrielle caught up to her at the door. They didn't want to wake the baby.

"'Kay," she whispered. She reached up and tentatively knocked on the door. When it was clear no one heard Eve and was getting upset, Xena took charge and knocked instead.

Joxer greeted them upon opening the door. He hugged Xena and Gabrielle, and then squatted down to talk to Eve. "Hi you. How are you doing with your moms?"

She grinned at him. "Hi, Uncle Jox." She slipped inside the house, leaving the three adults alone.

"It's good to see you again. Fatherhood agrees with you, Joxer." Gabrielle was happy that Joxer had been able to move on, fall in love, and be happy with someone else.

"Thanks, Gaby. Motherhood continues to agree with both of you." He was just happy that they had found each other in this world. Their love transcended so many others.

They followed him inside and greeted Meg there. Eve was watching the baby in awe – fortunately for them, he was awake and following her every movement.

Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve stayed for a few days before departing to help someone in need. Visiting Joxer had been a nice side-trip, one that wasn't fraught with chaos – something they needed in their lives.

Four years later, Eve asked her mothers a question they hadn't been expecting. The seven year old definitely surprised them when the words came out of her mouth. "You want what now?" Xena asked.

"Baby brother or sister," she repeated.

Gabrielle bit her lip. "That's a pretty big thing to ask for you. Are you sure you don't want something else?" At Xena's incredulous stare, she shrugged. "I had to try," she whispered.

Eve shook her head. "No, a baby please."

Xena led her over to a table; thankful the Amazons were off doing other things and wouldn't be bothering them. "That's pretty big, Eve. Mama and I aren't going to be able to give you that." She missed Solan in that moment, but pushed the pain away.

"Are you sure?" Eve wasn't convinced.

Gabrielle took over. "We're sure. But you can play with other children. I know you're lonely, but you have Mother and I. We love you so much. You came to us as a surprise, but there hasn't been a day that we didn't appreciate what led to you being here."

"Love you." She swung her legs back and forth, looking sad. Xena and Gabrielle's heart broke for their daughter. They wished they could give her a sibling, but it just wasn't going to happen.

Eve sighed and went off to go play with a little girl she had become close with during this journey.

"It's hard enough traveling with one child – I can't imagine doing it with two." One of them managed to exhaust Xena more than warlords and gods ever did.

"I think two would kill me." Gabrielle didn't know how her parents – and Xena's mother – had raised multiple children. It was so hard to raise just one, especially one as wild as Eve. She blamed some of that on Xena.

"Maybe one of us should find someone to spend a night with," Xena joked.

Gabrielle playfully swatted her. "I don't think so. Not happening, Xena." She did laugh, though, because Xena didn't even have to have sex to conceive Eve. That was the funniest part of it, once she thought about what her girlfriend said.

As the years passed and Eve matured, her mothers were proud of the woman their daughter turned into. On the day of her eighteenth birthday, Xena and Gabrielle let her go off to explore the world on her own.

"I can't believe my little girl is all grown up." Xena had been dreading this day ever since Eve's birth, but she was happy that Eve was her own person and independent.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Gabrielle sobbed as she pulled Eve in for a hug.

Eve shot a helpless look towards Xena, who just waved her off. "Mama, I'm not going to be gone that long. I'll be back before you know it." That was a lie and they all knew it, but Gabrielle let herself believe that was true.

"We'll be waiting for you at Joxer and Meg's house." Xena hoped that Eve and Virgil would help each other and not fight during this trip, but that was most likely too much to ask for.

"And I can't wait to see you there, Mother and Mama." Eve hugged both of them before getting up on her horse. Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, and Meg watched as their children departed.

"We'll be okay. They're not going to get into too much trouble," Joxer said. He tried desperately to convince himself of that.

In bed that night, Xena and Gabrielle discussed Eve's life and their favorite memories of her. "I love you, Xena. Thank you so much for all that you did to bring her into the world. It wasn't exactly easy."

"And I love you, Gaby. And thank you for all your help. I couldn't have done any of this – the pregnancy, giving birth, raising Eve – without you. You were my rock and always have been."

Gabrielle teared up. "And you were mine. These past twenty-four years have been the best of my life, even when life was horrible."

Xena moved closer and kissed her. "You do make me happy."

Gabrielle giggled. "I'm glad."

They couldn't wait to see what life threw their way next, and they were anxious for Eve's return. They were hopeful their daughter wouldn't change too much by the time she got back. She was the shining beacon in both their lives.


End file.
